Food and Restaurants

A recent survey showed 28% of Virginians have a hard time getting fresh fruit and vegetables in their communities. What’s more, half of kids said they would head for a fast food restaurant or convenience store if given $5 for food.

To counter those problems, a group of teachers is taking Richmond kids to the farm, where they dance, sing and discover the wonders of compost. Sandy Hausman went along and has this report.

Virginia schools could hold numerous fundraisers per year selling food that doesn’t meet nutritional guidelines under legislation that has passed both houses of the General Assembly. The bill requires the Board of Education to craft regulations that would be more permissive than current state policy, and permit the sale of what some call “junk food” during school hours. The Senate made its decision only after lengthy debate about what’s really best for the students.

Does just seeing Ronald McDonald put you in the mood for a burger and fries? Well, that effect is even stronger for children, who are bombarded with billions of dollars worth of food advertising brought to them by the media characters they love.

It’s the low hanging fruit in the childhood obesity epidemic. Redirect the power of advertising to promote foods to children that are lower in salt, sugar and fat. And by promote, researchers mean, use the extraordinary power of media characters like Dora the Explorer and Tony the Tiger before her to deliver the message.

What do vegans eat? The short answer is everything except animal products. Every kind of vibrant vegetable, great grain, fresh fruit, sumptuous seed, lovely legume, herb and pure spice is available for your eating pleasure.

We’ll go over specifics meal by meal, but the real answer is that this lifestyle is far less limiting than you may think. If you’re new to veganism, you’ll likely find yourself cooking more creatively than ever before – just don’t be afraid to experiment.